This Summer, You Must Be 21 to Buy Tobacco in San Antonio

Beginning August 1, you now must be 21 to purchase tobacco products in the city limits of San Antonio according to sacurrent.com.

The decision is said to help curb the number of young people who become addicted to tobacco. 95 percent of smokers start before the age of 21 according to Colleen Bridger, director of San Antonio Metro Health.

Some 5,000 residents were surveyed about the age increase with just over 77 percent saying they were in favor of the ordinance.

Many small businesses were opposed to the ordinance because of lower sales the rule will bring. Especially since businesses outside of the city limits will not have to abide by the ordinance.

Here's what we brought you in September.

The legal age to purchase tobacco products is currently 18 years old, but many cities and counties across the country have adopted ordinances that have upped the age to 21.

Currently, a survey is going around in San Antonio to gauge the city's interest in making the minimum age to buy tobacco products 21. Apparently, they were very interested.

San Antonio councilman John Courage is one of those in favor of the ordinance.

In my opinion, this is a public health issue and an addiction issue; so I would be in favor of increasing the minimum age for purchasing tobacco products to 21. I have yet to see the specific ordinance, but I would remain in support, so long as the responsibility is placed on the distributors of the tobacco products. I would not want to criminalize possession for young folks who happen to be between the age of 18 and 20.

San Antonio Metro Health says that 12.6% of high school males and 9.9% of high school females in Bexar County do smoke.